New Aceh military command: Quo vadis?<\/p>\n
Ibnu Mat Noor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
The future of strife-torn Aceh has become unclear since the
\nIskandar Muda Military Command was reinstated on Feb. 5, 2002,
\nwhich has raised mixed reactions from all sides, both at home and
\nabroad.<\/p>\n
The reinstatement of the military command has drawn skepticism
\namong Acehnese people, non-governmental organizations, political
\nobservers and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), while the government,
\nincluding the Indonesian Military (TNI), have hailed it as a
\nprogressive breakthrough to the prolonged conflict.<\/p>\n
The military command has yet to announce its short- and long-
\nterm strategic plans in the restive province. They have insisted
\nthat the ongoing military operation will go on to maintain the
\nprovince as part of the unitary state.<\/p>\n
\"We are currently undergoing consolidation to maintain
\nsecurity in the province and support the public administration,\"
\nLt. Col. Ch. Firdaus, spokesman for the newly established
\nmilitary command, told The Jakarta Post here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He said Military Command chief. Brig. Gen. Djali Jusuf was
\nstill in Jakarta to coordinate with TNI Headquarters and the
\ncentral government on how the new military organization, which
\nhas a total of 16,700 personnel, should be run.<\/p>\n
Separately, the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA) has
\ncondemned the government's decision on the military command as a
\nsetback to democratic reform in the country.<\/p>\n
According to SIRA, the government should pay more attention to
\npolitical dialog, socioeconomic development and law enforcement,
\ninstead of taking a militaristic approach.<\/p>\n
\"The revival of the military command is really a betrayal of
\nthe planned comprehensive and peaceful solution through dialog.
\nWe are sure it will not solve the problem, but will make the
\nconflict more complicated,\" SIRA coordinator Nazar told the Post.<\/p>\n
He said that if the government was committed to establishing a
\ncivil society, developing democracy and enforcing law, it should
\nprioritize political dialog, return the military to their
\nbarracks, accelerate economic development and bring all
\nservicemen who have abused human rights to court.<\/p>\n
\"The reinstatement of the military command is a setback and
\ndemocratic reform is under threat because the military will play
\na dominant role in Aceh as it did during the New Order era,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Nazar said GAM would gain support if the government continued
\nto take a militaristic approach, because the majority of Acehnese
\noppose the presence of more soldiers in the province.<\/p>\n
\"It now looks impossible that the government's decision on the
\nmilitary command will be dropped so they must make sure that the
\nmilitary will deal with defense matters,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The military command was first established on Dec. 22, 1956,
\nand liquidated in 1985 under Bukit Barisan Military Command.<\/p>\n
He said the future of the province remains dark because the
\ngovernment has made promises without making any effort to realize
\nthem. \"This has disappointed and frustrated the people of Aceh,\"
\nhe added.<\/p>\n
Bachrum Manyak, deputy chairman of the Aceh provincial
\nlegislature, questioned the government's decision because the
\nprovincial legislative council had never been consulted.<\/p>\n
Manyak, however, said the military should be more
\nintrospective and learn more about the Islamic culture in Aceh to
\nprevent the situation from getting worse.<\/p>\n
But, the government has seemingly gone beyond its commitment
\nto deploy a comprehensive long-term approach to solve the
\nconflict, because, with the revival of the military command, it
\nhas given priority to a repressive or military approach, which
\nseems to be a setback both to their initial commitment and to
\nAceh itself.<\/p>\n
The government's initial commitment is based on the 2000
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly Decree on Aceh and ten
\nrecommendations for Aceh proposed by the House of Representatives
\nin 1998.<\/p>\n
According to the comprehensive approach, the government should
\ngive priority to political dialog, socioeconomic programs, law
\nenforcement and security operation. However, the government has
\nsince placed greater emphasis on a militaristic approach, which
\nso far, has yet to reduce the conflict.<\/p>\n
Of the ten important points recommended by the House of
\nRepresentatives to help solve the conflict, the government has
\nonly realized the revival of Sabang free port. The other
\nrecommendations, which have yet to be implemented, are the trial
\nof military officers allegedly involved in human rights abuses
\nduring military operations from 1989 to 1998, the reestablishment
\nof the Banda Aceh to Medan, North Sumatra railway, law
\nenforcement and political dialog.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-aceh-military-command-quo-vadis-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}